Of Birthdays and Charcoal Pencils
by Bundibird
Summary: It's Lucy's eleventh birthday... for the third time. Edmund POV. ONESHOT. Prompt 1, Age.


**Disclaimer****: Oh, if only friends. If only.**

**AN****: Sorry for the delay – I was planning on getting another one up sooner than this, but I got distracted. A friend of mine gave me seasons one and two of **_**Avatar: The Last Airbender**_**, and I simply couldn't leave them unwatched. I watched all three seasons in a week and a half. I am such an addict. The show is FANTASTIC though. Legendary. I love it. And I'm in love with Zuko.**

**If you're interested in watching it, go to **_**watch – avatar – onlineDOTcom**_** (without the spaces and with a . in place of DOT)**

**I guess this is a bit of a birthday present to myself – It was my 20th birthday last week. Where on earth is Peter Pan?? **

**Enjoy.**

**OoO**

Age is a funny thing, really. Everyone always says things like, "Oh well, you're only thirteen once," or "Enjoy this kid, you'll never turn eighteen again."

Except that they're wrong, aren't they? For us four at least.

Peter's sixteen now, for the second time. Susan's still only fourteen, but in a few month's she'll be turning seventeen again. And I'm thirteen now, for the third time.

Lucy's birthday will be celebrated next week. Her eleventh. It will be the third time she's celebrated her eleventh birthday.

The first time was in Narnia, during our reign. I'll always remember that day – all the guests and the food and the dancing and the decorations… it was a combined celebration – Lucy's birthday, of course, but it was also in celebration of our victory over the Eastern Ogres who had been decided that they liked the fair Narnian soil over their own barren swamps, and decided to try and take Her for themselves.

The second time we celebrated Lucy's eleventh birthday was aboard the Dawn Treader (We weren't in Narnia long enough for any of us to have a birthday when we put Caspian on the throne). That too was memorable. There's nothing quite the same as celebrating the birthday of a Royal on a ship in the middle of unknown waters on your way to the potential edge of the world.

And next week will be the third time we celebrate her eleventh. Well, the third time for her and I, the second for Peter and Susan, and the first for Mum and Dad, I suppose.

Despite the fact that she's around about 26 years old all up (give or take a few months) she's still just as excited as always to be having a birthday, despite the fact that only four of us know how old she really is and that everyone else is going to give her presents fit for a child.

Just because you're celebrating the _same_ birthday doesn't diminish the excitement of having one. You're still a year older, ultimately, no matter where that year has been spent. That's one extra year of life experience, and of wisdom.

And of presents, of course.

I bought her a bracelet this year – a beautiful silver one that looks as though it could be from Narnia. Its thick chain is decorated with silver and white beads, all intricately carved with swirling designs. It's beautiful and delicate looking, but it's of good quality and it's sturdy. I spent enough time with the Dwarf smiths of Narnia to know that much.

Peter bought her the matching necklace – the same basic design but with a white pendant hanging from the centre, with silver overlay. The two are extremely similar to a set she used to have in Narnia – one of her favourites, actually. So we know she'll love it.

I would have bought both for her myself, but pure silver isn't exactly cheap, and considering that the only job I'm able to get in this country where everyone views thirteen year olds as irresponsible and juvenile and incapable of any level of responsibility is as a paper delivery boy, funds were a little short, and I had to enlist my eldest sibling's help.

Peter was glad to pitch in – despite dedicating several hours to the search for the perfect present for his littlest sibling, he was yet to come across anything suitable. Our sister is easily pleased, yes, and would likely have been happy if we'd given her a _hair-tie_, for Aslan's sake, but Peter is a perfectionist (and, I daresay, I am too to some degree when it comes to my family) and we would settle for nothing but the perfect present for Lucy.

Susan is taking her shopping, so far as I am aware. Personally, I think that's a bit of a cop-out. Almost like, 'I couldn't be bothered thinking of something suitable for you, so I'll just let you pick your own present instead' type thing. It's not like it's hard to pick presents for _Lucy_. Like I said – she's easily pleased.

But it seems like Susan would rather not put in any effort or thought. Or perhaps Susan just really likes shopping.

I don't know. Susan's mind is a foreign concept to me at the best of times.

I know Lucy isn't thrilled – she hates shopping, and England's supposed 'fashion' is not a patch on Narnia's – but she's staying silent so she doesn't upset Susan.

That's further testament to how old she really is, I suppose. Most eleven-year-olds would just straight out tell you if they don't like your present, with little or no thought for who they may upset, but Lucy is far more diplomatic than that.

I don't know what Mum and Dad are getting her. Hopefully something more suitable than last year, at least – they got her a doll.

Lucy reacted as they expected her to at the time – all gushy and thankful and 'Oh, isn't her hair so pretty – and look at her dress!' But after that, the doll sat on Lucy's bed as a decoration, fitting in well with the pink, flowery décor of the bedroom.

Mum was confused, and a little upset, asking why Lucy wasn't playing with the doll. Lucy replied that she didn't want to mess up the doll's hair or dirty her dress, and anyway, didn't she look so pretty sitting there on the bed?

Susan wanted Lucy to play with the doll too – she said Mum and Dad paid out good money for it and that Lucy shouldn't let it go to waste, and anyway, Lucy should start trying to act more like a just-turned-ten-year-old than an adult.

I understand though, why the doll remained as a decoration only. It's hard enough having everyone _think _you're a child, without acting the part to such an extent too.

So hopefully this year's gift from our parents is more suitable. I don't know what I'd do if they bought her a stuffed teddy bear or something.

…

As it turned out, Mum and Dad learnt from their mistakes.

It appeared they'd been watching Lucy more closely than any of us realised, because they bought her a full set of coloured artist-pencils and two sketchbooks; one large and one small, and a set of charcoals in varying shades and thicknesses.

Lucy was absolutely thrilled – she adores drawing and painting and sketching. She's always doodling on bits of paper all over the place, and she can be counted on to have some sort of writing implement on her person at all times.

She's off in the garden breaking them in now. I look forward to seeing her first picture done with decent pencils – she hasn't had access to anything other than blunt lead pencils here in England, and even with those she produced some outstanding stuff.

Mostly of Narnia, which really comes as no surprise.

I suppose that's a benefit of her looking so young – if Mum happens to find a picture of us four siblings sitting upon grand thrones with crowns on our heads, or of a half-man-half-goat with a scarf around his neck, it's simply put down to Lucy's amazing creativity.

It's still weird though. I mean – she's effectively 26 years old, but I still can't see her as an adult. I just can't picture her at thirty or older, getting married and having children and getting wrinkled skin. I can't imagine Peter or I like that either. I try, but the oldest image I can conjure is that of a still-young smiling Lucy, just turned 23.

Stranger still – I _can_ see Susan getting old. Not just getting married and having kids, but I can actually see her old – with all the wrinkles and the white hair and the walking stick to boot.

I guess it's just our personality differences. Peter, Lucy and I are eternally young – our bodies may get older, and we can act grown up when we need to, but essentially, we still act like kids as often as we can.

Susan though, can't wait to grow up in the eyes of England, and acts like an adult even when there's no one else around. She's always been like that – playing Mum to the rest of us.

Oh well. Lucy's coming in now with her first master-piece – Mum and Susan are already gushing.

I guess I'll see in time though, just how we all look with wrinkles.

It's an amusing thought.

OoO

**AN: I apologise if the ending seemed a little rushed, or if it seemed a little off from about half way through. I wanted to get this posted, but I've just found out that a guy I went to primary school with got stabbed to death on the weekend, because he stepped into a fight to prevent someone else getting beaten up.**

**So I suppose this Fic is doubly fitting – I'll keep getting older, just like Susan, but he'll be forever 20, just like Edmund.**

**If you could pray for his family through this time, that would be great. I can't even imagine what they're going through at the moment.**

**Thanks.**

**Ok, if you're confused by the age thing, here's the model I went from.**

**Peter – was thirteen for LWW and lived to be twenty-eight before he went back to England and was thirteen again. Celebrated all those birthdays from thirteen onwards for the second time in England. **

**Susan – was twelve for LWW and lived to be twenty-seven before she went back to England and was twelve again. Celebrated all those birthdays from twelve onwards for the second time in England.**

**Edmund - was ten for LWW and lived to be twenty-five before he went back to England and was ten again. Celebrated his eleventh again in England and went back to Narnia to put Caspian on the throne. Went back to England for a year and celebrated his second twelfth birthday before a few months past and he went back to Narnia to sail on the Dawn Treader, where he celebrated his thirteenth birthday for the second time. Went back to England and celebrated all his birthdays from thirteen onwards for the third time.**

**Lucy - was eight for LWW and lived to be twenty-three before she went back to England and was eight again. Celebrated her ninth birthday again in England and went back to Narnia to put Caspian on the throne. Went back to England for a year and celebrated her second tenth birthday before a few months past and she went back to Narnia to sail on the Dawn Treader, where she celebrated her eleventh birthday for the second time. Went back to England and celebrated all her birthdays from eleven onwards for the third time.**

**Love you guys,**

**Bundi.**


End file.
